INR Final Exam

Using at least a full paragraph (four sentences or more), outline the major similarities and differences between classical realism and neorealisms as presented to you in the textbook and in class.

Both classical and neo- (structural) realism stem from the possession of power. Classical realists believe it is vital to have balance and maintain of power because the nature of man is corrupt. Neorealists believe that one must have power to survive because there is an absence of governance between nations; that there is an international anarchy because of this. Morgan Thaus developed six principles of classical realism that basically entails doing what you must do not what you should do. Reason being is that most good choices are often politically unsuccessful. Kenneth Waltz is the father of Structural realism and he believes that the source of incentive for survival is not because of human nature, but because of international anarchy.

Using at least a full paragraph (four sentences or more), outline the major similarities and differences between realism(s) and liberalism(s) as presented to you in the text and in class.

Realism and liberalism are almost opposite of each other, but they do have some similarities and definite differences. The similarities are that they do believe that there is an international anarchy. Liberala intend to participate in international organizations but realists do so for self-interest and the gainage of power, they do not care about international organizations, while liberals do so to keep peace and to tame anarchy. Realism focuses on the corruption of human nature, liberalism pioneers like Locke and Kant believe that world can be more peaceful.

Using at least two full paragraphs (eight sentences or more), apply one of the theories that we read about (realism, neorealism, liberalism, neoliberalism, constructivism, the English School, Marxism, and critical theory) to one of the case studies used in a different chapter and compare that theory’s insights to the theory in the chapter that originally used the case study. (Hint: this means you have to use a case study that you know what theory was used to analyze it in the textbook).

I will use the Iraq war case study. In the book the case study used a classical realist approach to analyze the war. With these lenses on it is clear that the U.S.. acted outside of its interest defined by power. They missed their goals of obtaining power and maintaing order. The original intent was to capture Osama Bin-Laden,however, it turned into a costly war that really didnt give true evidence of the U.S. being safe from terrorism. This led to the loss of positive reputation of The U.S. and loss of support of the Bush administration. The Theory I will be applying to this case study is the English School Theory. I acknowledge the major criticism of this theory that if there is a crisis the society falls apart and so do the rules, but I want to focus on the interaction rules and laws of this theory. What the Iraq war failed to do was acknowledge key values such as mutual recognition and diplomatic practices like treaties. There wasn’t much cooperation dealt within the two countries. Instead of going overseas to achieve the wars intentional goal and focus on the terrorist group of the Taliban, the U.S. became a government in another country. A flaw that the English school doesn’t believe in. It believes in interaction rules instead of governing rules.

Using at least a full paragraph (four sentences or more), tell me what theory of International Relations that you have read so far you are most convinced by and why. You are also welcome to express your remaining doubts.

So far the English School theory has gained my most attention. Reason being is that I like the effort of the global political system. I believe that interaction rules and laws are important because over time the same cases can change on based on outlooks so it is important for all parties to revisit the rules and communicate. I like the solidartist approach because the protection of marginalized citizens is important to me, since I have a belief of equality for everyone. I like the fact that a pluralist approach likes to maintain order, but I do wish that they had a more humanistic value attached to their actions when they are looking at their state’s interest.

When evaluating the reliability of data found online one should look for

The presence of an editorial staff interested in fact checking and printing corrections.

OneSearch is a ____-like search across library resources, and gives you an ‘all-in-one’ set of results.

google

The two historical developments that Sterling-Folker suggests make realism an inaccurate portrayal of the international system are

the rise of interstate interdependence and the period of hegemonic stability

Bruce Russett suggests there has been a big drop in world conflict.

true

One of the reasons that classical realists find justice important is ….

it provides the conceptual scaffolding on which actors can intelligently construct interests.

Clearly the act of mutual ____ indicates the presence of social practice: it is fundamental to an identity relationship. It is the first step in the construction of an international society. If we were to doubt for a moment the social nature of this process, then this would quickly be dispelled by those peoples in history who at some time have been or continue to be denied membership in the society of states.

RECOGNITION

Liberal institutionalists suggest that these factors constrain war:

democracy, international trade, and international organizations

Structural realists think states want power because

it is the anarchical structure of the international system that forces states to pursue power.

The three ‘paradigms’ that Stephen Walt characterizes as the three pillars of International Relations theorizing are:

realism, liberalism, and constructivism

Which is the central actor in international relations?

THE STATE

"Normative" IR theory is

a label for a field of study that is interested in the ethical dimensions of global politics.

What power do the members of the Permanent 5 (P-5) in the UN’s Security Council have?

veto power

What questions can help you detect bias in a news source? (select all that apply)

Is there a lack of diversity? Who are the sources?

DYADIC

between two states

MONADIC

one state, self-contained

Clash of civilizations theory

argues that states from different cultures are more likely to fight than states from the same culture

Prisoners Dilemma

an illustration that interacting states (might) always have an incentive to abuse each other’s trust even if they might benefit from cooperation

Principal-agent theory

an approach to studying institutional relationships that focuses on the delegation of authority from decision-makers to those authorized to act on their behalf

The difference between pluralist and solidarist English School approaches is:

the pluralist framework is geared towards maintaining order between states with liberty, while the solidarist perspective is geared toward collective enforcement and the guardianship of human rights.

Which of the following are non-state actors? (select all that apply)

a terrorist group Greenpeace

Which side of the spectrum provides more reputable news–Sensationalist or Up-Market?

Up-Market

To do a good search, you must

-use good search terms -use a good search field -narrow -limit

Your librarian for IR/Political Science is

David Schweider

The Westphalian treaty created the concept of state sovereignty, which is the ____________.

complete authority of the state over its territory.

The chapter on classical realism suggests that the Iraq war is like a Greek tragedy, where "success and power are the principal causes of hubris."

true

The Treaty of Westphalia marked the end of

The 30 years war

Dunne characterizes the English School as the dominant theoretical voice in Britain today, though it has not always been.

True

Neoliberal institututionalists study the following features and results of the design of institutions, according to Sterling-Folker (choose all that apply):

-the extent to which institutional design plays a role in international negotiations and bargaining -when states defect from cooperating, and how that effects cooperation in the future – if and how institutions can be autonomous and how that impacts their ability to control violence in the international arena – how the ways that anarchy inhibits cooperation can be minimized – the structure of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Dr. Sjoberg believes that the characterization of classical realism as 2500 years old and fundamentally the same tradition is unproblematic.

FALSE

Structural realists agree that the rise of China will be violent, and advocate war.

FALSE

A good source for information in ‘knowing’ about global politics are (Select all that apply)

-NEWSPAPERS -NEWS MEDIA WITH AN EYE TOWARD REPUTABILITY

States listen to international law through consent and mutual agreement. What else would motivate states to agree and adhere to international law? (select all that apply)

– Fear of sanctions or retaliation from other states – Reputation

Richard Ned Lebow characterizes classical realism as 2500 years old and has shown a fundamental unity over all of those years.

TRUE

Consequentialism is the moral philosophy concerned with punishing wrongs.

FALSE